A non-serrated butter knife is used to spread a condiment on a sandwich. Mayo, margarine, or mustard. It was never in anyone's mouth, wasn't licked off, just spread the condiment. Can it safely be thoroughly wiped off on a paper towel and stuck back in the drawer, or must it be dunked in the suds?
I won't bore you with the details on why I want to know. Thank you for any input.

Interesting question. And it makes a lot of sense. SS is supposed to be kitchen safe as far as porosity and cleaning, so I see your reasoning. And I have noticed some people wash a lot more thoroughly than others, so there may not be much difference between a rinse in hot water and a quick wipe, or a soaking in dirty dishwater and a long wipe

Big fan of the squeeze bottle here. Especially if I'm making lots of sandwiches that week. I can't remember the last time I bought a jar of mustard And my butter knife resides in the fridge next to the butter, standing up in a glass. How's that for efficiency in not washing?

I find it too easy to toss that all in the dishwasher and run it. I see no practical reason to just wipe it off and toss it back in the drawer.

I don't have a dishwasher. I'm a little OCD about leaving any dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Making my lunch for the next day is the last thing I do before bed. I'm also a noted cheapskate, I even think about the dot of dish soap I'd put on the knife. I use the paper towel I used to make my sandwich on to wipe off the knife. I'm just curious.
Part of my cheapskate-ry is jars are cheaper than squeeze bottles for the identical product.

I rinse it off and leave it out for DH to use next, I don't stick it back in the drawer. I also rinse off a plate I used and leave that out for DH to reuse, unless it has sticky goo, then it goes in the dishwasher.

Most things like this mostly come down to fastidiousness. Very little chance of it being a health problem. Consider that it's little different from all sorts of dispensors used everywhere, except that the dispensors have the foodstuff crusted on them and aren't often wiped. And the human immune system, especially the gastrointestinal tract, can handle a great deal of disease causing bacteria without harm. Tiny bits that might be missed, like on the flat back edge of a knife, are nothing compared to what we handle every day. I generally don't do it, but I admit to having a fork and spoon at my desk that gets wiped off and put back to use the next day.

__________________"Kitchen duty is awarded only to those of manifest excellence..." - The Master, Dogen

Most things like this mostly come down to fastidiousness. Very little chance of it being a health problem. Consider that it's little different from all sorts of dispensors used everywhere, except that the dispensors have the foodstuff crusted on them and aren't often wiped. And the human immune system, especially the gastrointestinal tract, can handle a great deal of disease causing bacteria without harm. Tiny bits that might be missed, like on the flat back edge of a knife, are nothing compared to what we handle every day. I generally don't do it, but I admit to having a fork and spoon at my desk that gets wiped off and put back to use the next day.

I do the same with my spork and Joyce Chen knife at work, however, if I am lending them, I will wash them first.

__________________“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” - Albert Einstein

I would wash it. Think it's gross to just wipe it and put it away. I'm just wired that way I guess. If we have 10 condiments at the table I will put out 10 spoons or knives to go with it, I also wipe condiment bottles and salt and pepper shakers after each use. I also use a fresh butter knife for jam and spreads, never the one that's got butter on it.

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__________________Odette "I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass."